The number of UN personnel killed in the line of duty reached a new high last year.
On June 5, local time, United Nations Secretary-General Guterres delivered a speech on the United Nations martyrs in 2024, calling on the international community to remember the principle of sacrifice and protection, and once again emphasized that "humanitarian costs will not become the new normal". Guterres said that in 2024, the United Nations faces extremely serious challenges, especially in the Gaza conflict, with a total of 126 United Nations staff members killed in the line of duty, including 125 UNRWA staff members – the highest number in the history of the United Nations. This is not only a sorrow for the United Nations, but also a global wake-up call – "indifference to suffering must not be allowed to become a reality." Guterres also paid tribute to UN staff still fighting in crisis zones around the world: "Your courage is admirable, and your resilience is touching." Your actions are the best memorial to the deceased. Guterres also reiterated: "There will be no wavering of our principles, no turning our backs on us."